Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
She knew better than to argue with him. Something had happened. Big Tag had been in his office all day, and he’d had that blank look on his face that she associated with him being worried. Tag could express a range of emotions. Anger? He was excellent at anger. Amused. He could do that one, too. He was amused most of the time.
Worry shut the big boss down.
She hoped he wasn’t worried about her.
“I’ll go grab some sheets and pillows for you.” It was Big Tag’s worry that had made her agree to these overbearing protective protocols of his.
“Can you set the alarm first?” West asked, prompting her to remember that she’d only locked the door. She had a brand spanking new security system—another of Tag’s edicts.
She pulled her cell out and quickly checked the system. It was smart, and she could control the thing from several places. Her phone, laptop, and tablet all had the software she needed.
“Huh.” One of the reports caught her eye. “I guess Hutch had to make two trips. He was here at noon and then about an hour ago.”
“It was probably because I complained about almond milk. Milk should not be made from almonds,” West pointed out. “It looks like he got you Sriracha, too.”
There was a big bottle of Sriracha on the bar, a little bow around it. Her favorite. She put it on pretty much everything.
Spicy girl. One day I’ll show you how hot you can be.
She shook her head because everything Kyle Hawthorne had told her was a lie. Every word. She’d been a comforting presence after the storm of his real love.
Julia fucking Ennis.
She knew it wasn’t fair to think that way. Julia had hurt Kyle. Kyle had tried to take care of her by putting a couple of bullets in her, but evil found a way.
She knew Kyle didn’t love Julia, but she wasn’t feeling fair tonight.
Kyle hadn’t loved her either.
She set the alarm and grabbed a bottle of water. “’Night, West. Thanks for taking me out. That movie was exactly what I needed. I hope your brother enjoyed it, too.”
West’s lips kicked up in what she would have once thought was a heart-stopping grin. “Caught that, did you?”
She didn’t have a heart to stop anymore. “Yes. He shadowed us all day. We’ve had a shadow for at least a week now. Something happened, and hopefully Big Tag will tell us tomorrow.”
West turned and looked at her, the bar between them. “You’re getting so damn good at this, girl. Pretty soon you’ll be the one protecting me.”
He was such a gorgeous guy. With sandy hair and smoldering eyes, he had the sexy cowboy thing down.
How much easier would her life be if she could feel something beyond friendship for him? If she could even consider falling into bed with this man and letting it happen between them. West made sense. It could be fun. He wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch if he was in her bed.
“Somehow I doubt that. I’ll be right back.” She couldn’t. Her stupid broken heart still ached, and she couldn’t even think about another man.
She walked down the short hallway to her bedroom and moved inside, starting to reach for the light.
That was when she saw the shadow at her window.
There was another explanation for the two entries on her security files.
She really should be better at passwords.
“Hello, MaeBe.”
Kyle Hawthorne moved out of the shadows, the moonlight illuminating him, and for a moment he looked like the ghost he’d wanted her to think he was.
Anger thrummed through her, and she realized her fight was far from over.
* * * *
Kyle, MaeBe, and the whole McKay-Taggart crew will return in The Dom Who Came in from the Cold. Click here to purchase.
As for Drake and Taylor’s plans for a new kind of Agency team—turn the page for a little glimpse of the future…
Epilogue: Sometime in the future
“Give me one good reason I don’t kill you.”
Ian Taggart stared straight into Drake’s eyes and hoped the kid felt his will. His will to murder him in any number of ways. To be honest, he didn’t need one good reason. He had two.
Kenzie and Kala. His twins. The lights of his life and the bane of his very existence.
He’d wanted to be a dad why?
“Ian, babe, come on. We talked about this.” His Charlie was sitting, not pacing like a caged tiger the way he’d been. His Charlie was composed and reasonable.
When he thought about it, this was all Charlie’s fault. Let’s have a kid, she’d said. It’ll be fun.
One had turned into five, and every one of them came with their own troubles.
“Dad, you can’t kill him. I told you I do not do cleanup. I tried it once and my stomach can’t handle it. Blood is gross.”